Process of making alloys.



UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE. r I

mnny' n non'na'rir, or new Your, N, Y.

- mosses-o1. name annoys- 1,252,881 Specification Letters Batent.

Ila Drawing.

.1 combined together under pressure; as by heating them together in a closed casing adapted to withstand pressure at a tempera ture at which the less fusible metal melts,

such casingbeing one adapted to withstand the pressure of the/vapors of the more volatile metal at this temperature, and the alloy is then solidified; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed. y I

Most pairsof metals do ,not mix in all proportions. With metals of about the same" melting point this oflers no ;d1fiiculty n se'- o curing mixtures of any dESIIGd PIOPO ItIOII since by agitating the molten metals together and then casting no time iser-- mittedyfor segregationorseparationL ur-.

ther, Where, one metal is'eornparatively readilyv'olatile it is in any event'difiicult to'al-- by it with another metal of lfigh melting point to obtain a mixed metal of definlte and as exact com osition for the reason that ,volai-- tilization always very active in any atmosphere containing furnace ases) changes the. proportions. In making rass for example 11; 15 the practice to melt the co per andthen 40 add the zinc with the result t ata variable proportion of the zinc alwa svolatilizes' awaybeforethe alloy can be ormed.

Practically, it may besaid that incompounding a volatile metal with ai less.volatile only two waysare open to the operator.

Either hemay use a"temperatu're such as sufiices tomelt onlyfthe more volat le. one (which is also always themore fusible) in which case he can. only secure alloys u -to' 5.0 the limit of solubilityof the less volati e in the more volatile; or he can use higher tempcratures; in whiehcase'there, is always a loss of theyolatilemetallwhich must bevellowed for in the pro ortiohing.

Application illed August 27, 1917. serial No. 188,478.

Itis an ob'e ot of t e present invention to Patented m, s 1918.

provide a simple process wherein the noted ifiiculties may be obviated; and this I do by the simple-expedient ofperformin the fus on or union of'the two "metals in ac osed caslng adapted to withstand ressure and to retaln the vapors of the vo atile metal. I 'may of course in many instances use exter-' nally heated casings, heated by fire heat or electrical resistance; but as a rule I find it better to rely upon internally developed heat; either resistance heating oran electric arc. The two metalsmay be placed together win, such a casing and the assemblage heatedtill the desired alloy is made; or the less'volatile may be melted therein and then the more volatile metal added. The' casin may .serve merely for fusion' and the fused alloy be cast into a separate mold (which may-also be under pressure) ;or it may serve also as the mold for making the flnal ingot.

Very many methods of operating may be devised within the limits of myibroad invention which consists in having sufiicient pressure at the time-of union o'f'the two metals, to..prvent to a substantial-extent evolution of vapors of the more volatile metal. v.-

In making copper amalgams for dental use I may, 'for example; place the desired amount of copper and of mercury in a closed steel casing llned Iwith fireclay or fire brick and pass a current through one or both of the metals until the temperature is about the melting point of copper (1075' (l); and then. mingle the two metals if they be not already in contact. An are may of course be made in the casing-for heating-purposes.

Mercury boils at 357 C. under atmospheric with-copper in a';closed 'casing thereris not difficult in retaining it until the alloying is comp eted. Operating inthis manner it 1S 0bV10l1S that any deslred ratidbetween the copper andthe mercury can be attained in the final product. After union is effected,

thevmolten alloy may be t p d 'toanother ,r

casin to give an ingot; or it ma be allowed to so idify in the-casing in w ich it was metals, such. as silver, gold, lead, tin, etc., can bemade in the same manner. In making brass, I proceed in exactlythe same manner, charging the casing'with the'de- "made, Amalgams' of mercurywith other sired amounts of copper and of zinc (with V without deoxidants such as phosphorus) and heating up to the melting point of copper.

The present process is particularly -convenient in making alloys of sodium and potassium with other metals since not only are these metals freely fusible and volatile but they are also combustible. In making What I may term a sodium-copper couple .for chemical reductions I may, for example, place-about'90 per cent. of sodium and percent. of copper in a close d casing and heat internally until the temperature is around a' thousand degrees Centigrade, agitate the casing vigorously to produce good admixture and tap into a closed mold. In 'so' doing I produce bars of'an a'lloy which has va more energetic reducing action than sodium alone and which is susceptible of v many uses in commercial organic chemistry.

It is of course a stronger reducing agent than the ordinary copper zinc couple.

A copper zinc couple inconvenient form may be produced by using 90-95 parts of zinc and 10-5 parts of copper in the same 'way.

Many otherspecific embodiments of the prescntinvention maybemade. I regard it asfparticulaiflly useful in"'making alloys in any desired proportions, usingsodium, potassium, mercury, cadmium and zinc to- 'g'et her with another metal of less fusibility and volatility.

It is of course not necessary that both metals or either be'heaited-under pressure and'then the'two metals united by tiltingforotherwise.

The same expedients'ma in alloys of other pairs 0 difierent volatility.

. l be used n mak What I claim is 1. The process of. making alloys which comprises inclosing a relatively volatile metal anda relatively less volatile metal in a closed casing-and heating under a high pressure of the vapors of the more volatile metal.

2; The process of making alloys Which comprises inclosing a relatively volatile metal and a relatively less volatile-metal in a closed casing and heatingunder ahi h pressure of the vapors of the more volatile metal to a temperature at, which the less volatile metal fuses.

3. The rocess of making alloys of a highly o atile metal With a less volatile metal which comprisesuniting the less 'volatile metal in'a fused state with the more vola tile metal at a relatively high pressure in a casing adapted to Withstand such pressure and prevent substantial volatilization of the more volatile metal.

4'. The process of making alloys of a highly volatile metal with a less volatile metal which comprises uniting the less volatile metal in a fused state with the more volatile metal at a relatively high pressure in a casing adapted to withstand such pressure-and prevent substantial volatilization of the more volatile metaland casting under pressure.

5. Inthe manufacture of alloys of metals of widely different melting point the process which comprises-uniting said metals at a temperature sufficient to melt the less fusible metal in .a casing under sufficient pressure to restrain substantial evaporation ofthe more fusible and volatile metal and retain it ina liquid state at such temperature.

' 6. In the manufacture of alloys of metals of Widely different melting point the processlwhichcomprises uniting said metals at a temperature sufiicientto melt the less fusible metal in a casing under sufficient-presj-sureto restrain substantial evaporation of and casting under pressure,

"HENRY L. DoHER'ri :In testimony h f, I aflix my signature. 7 metals Of widely.-.

t ain it in aliquid state atsuch temperature 

